What This Bill Does
This bill asks the President to issue a yearly proclamation (an official announcement) naming a day as Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. It also makes the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag an official U.S. symbol to honor American citizens held as hostages or wrongfully detained in other countries.
Who It Affects
The President, people of the United States, the U.S. government, employees at the Capitol and White House, and employees at the State Department and Defense Department buildings.
Key Provisions
• The President must issue a proclamation each year designating a day as Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day and calling on Americans to observe it with appropriate ceremonies and activities (Sec. 2(a)(1)).
• The Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag becomes the official symbol recognizing U.S. citizens held as hostages or wrongfully detained abroad (Sec. 2(b)(1)).
• The flag must be displayed at the Capitol, the White House, the State Department building, and the Defense Department building on Flag Day (June 14), Independence Day (July 4), and any day when a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident returns from or dies while being held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad (Sec. 2(b)(2) and (3)).
• The flag display must be visible to the public (Sec. 2(b)(4)).
• Employees cannot be required to report to work solely to display the flag (Sec. 2(b)(5)).
What Changes
If this becomes law, the President will be required to issue yearly proclamations for Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. The Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag will become an official U.S. symbol displayed at four specific government buildings on designated dates. Americans will be called to observe this day with ceremonies and activities.
Important Definitions
• Wrongfully detained: held in custody unjustly or unlawfully in another country.
• Lawful permanent resident: a foreign national legally allowed to live permanently in the United States.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1522
To amend title 36, United States Code, to request the President to issue
an annual proclamation designating Hostage and Wrongful Detainee
Day, to designate the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag as an official
symbol to recognize citizens of the United States held as hostages or
wrongfully detained abroad, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 9, 2023
Ms. STEVENS (for herself and Mr. HILL) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in
addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title 36, United States Code, to request the Presi-
dent to issue an annual proclamation designating Hos-
tage and Wrongful Detainee Day, to designate the Hos-
tage and Wrongful Detainee Flag as an official symbol
to recognize citizens of the United States held as hos-
tages or wrongfully detained abroad, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•HR 1522 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hostage and Wrongful
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Detainee Day Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.
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(a) HOSTAGE AND WRONGFUL DETAINEE DAY.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 36, United
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States Code, is amended—
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(A) by redesignating the second section
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146 (relating to Choose Respect Day) as section
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147; and
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(B) by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘§ 148. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day
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‘‘The President is requested to issue each year a
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proclamation—
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‘‘(1) designating a day as Hostage and Wrong-
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ful Detainee Day; and
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‘‘(2) calling on the people of the United States
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to observe Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day with
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appropriate ceremonies and activities.’’.
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(2) TECHNICAL
AND
CONFORMING
AMEND-
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MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 1 of title
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36, United States Code, is amended by striking the
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item relating to the second section 146 and inserting
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the following:
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‘‘147. Choose Respect Day.
‘‘148. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day.’’.
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•HR 1522 IH
(b) HOSTAGE AND WRONGFUL DETAINEE FLAG.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 9 of title 36, United
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States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
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following:
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‘‘§ 904. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag
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‘‘(a) DESIGNATION.—The Hostage and Wrongful De-
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tainee Flag championed by the Bring Our Families Home
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Campaign is designated as the symbol of the commitment
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of the United States to recognizing citizens of the United
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States held as hostages or wrongfully detained abroad.
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‘‘(b) REQUIRED DISPLAY.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Hostage and Wrongful
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Detainee Flag shall be displayed at the locations
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specified in paragraph (2) on the days specified in
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paragraph (3).
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‘‘(2) LOCATIONS
SPECIFIED.—The locations
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specified in this paragraph are the following:
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‘‘(A) The Capitol.
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‘‘(B) The White House.
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‘‘(C) The buildings containing the official
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office of—
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‘‘(i) the Secretary of State; and
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‘‘(ii) the Secretary of Defense.
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‘‘(3) DAYS SPECIFIED.—The days specified in
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this paragraph are the following:
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•HR 1522 IH
‘‘(A) Flag Day, June 14.
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‘‘(B) Independence Day, July 4.
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‘‘(C) Any other day on which a citizen or
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lawful permanent resident of the United
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States—
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‘‘(i) returns to the United States from
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being held hostage or wrongfully detained
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abroad; or
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‘‘(ii) dies while being held hostage or
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wrongfully detained abroad.
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‘‘(4) DISPLAY TO BE IN A MANNER VISIBLE TO
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THE PUBLIC.—Display of the Hostage and Wrongful
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Detainee Flag pursuant to this section shall be in a
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manner designed to ensure visibility to the public.
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‘‘(5) LIMITATION.—This section may not be
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construed or applied so as to require any employee
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to report to work solely for the purpose of providing
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for the display of the Hostage and Wrongful De-
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tainee Flag.’’.
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(2) TECHNICAL
AND
CONFORMING
AMEND-
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MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 9 of title
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36, United States Code, is amended by adding at
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the end the following:
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‘‘904. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag.’’.
Æ
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